When the Rangers acquired Urho Vaakanainen as part of the Jacob Trouba trade, many saw him as a low-risk, high-reward player. Up until this point in his NHL career, Vaakanainen had not done much to impress. He had bounced around a couple of different deals and was never given much of a chance to prove himself. Fans hoped Vaakanainen would be given ample playing time with the Rangers, allowing him to adjust to the NHL game. This will help him develop and reach his potential as a prospect. But did this happen this past season?
Expectations
At the start of training camp, Vaakanainen was in a battle for a spot on the bottom pairing. He was going up against other young defenseman on the roster, like Scott Morrow. He definitely had his work cut out for him, as Morrow was the crown jewel of the K'Andre Miller trade. If Morrow or one of the other young defensemen were to beat him out, he was going to be the seventh defenseman. A depth piece the Rangers can easily insert into the lineup if injuries occur.
But if he was able to win the job, many expected him to build off his 2024-25 season. In 46 games with the Rangers last year, he racked up two goals and 13 assists for 15 points. It is by far the most successful season Vaakanainen has had in the NHL. While the point total may have been a little high, the hope was that Vaakanainen could establish himself as a solid NHL defenseman.
Performance
Vaakanainen was able to beat out the competition and earned the third pairing job alongside Braden Schneider. But he did not get off to the start everyone hoped for, notching only an assist in October. Things did not get much better in November, as he played in seven games and recorded only two assists. This is also when Vaakananinen suffered a lower-body injury, something that cost him a couple of games.
Things only got worse during December. Due to his poor performance, the Rangers decided to give other skaters an opportunity. He only suited up for three games during the month. He was given another chance, appearing in eight of the 17 games between January and February. But he was only able to tally a point during this stretch. March was his best month production-wise, registering two points in six games. But he suffered an upper-body injury on March 18th and only played one game the rest of the season.
In 34 games, Vaakanainen logged just six assists. He was not able to find the back of the net once this season. While it's not a primary responsibility of a defenseman, you like to see him score at least a couple of goals. His advanced metrics were not much better. According to Natural Stat Trick, he had a 50.34 CF%, 49.87 SCF%, and a 46.96 xG%. He also allowed 186 scoring chances and 80 high-danger chances. Not the numbers a defenseman wants to have.
Grade: F
Where do they go from here?
Any hope of Vaakanainen turning a corner and becoming a solid NHL defenseman is gone after this season. It looks like the 2024-25 season was more of a fluke rather than something he can build off of. To make matters worse, he is 27 years old and has spent 8 years in the NHL. It's next to impossible for players to make a big jump in their game at this point. They may make a slight improvement, but not enough to change their perception.
But just because he will not be a full-time starter does not mean he can't be a productive player for the Rangers. He can take on the role of the seventh defenseman and be the depth piece that every team needs. In short bursts, he should be able to provide solid play. It will keep that spot on the roster from costing the Rangers games. It's not the most glamorous position, but it's still important.
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